The Hurricane Heist

Rarely as much fun as one might’ve hoped, The Hurricane Heist follows stormchaser Will (Toby Kebbel) as he and an ATF agent (Maggie Grace’s Casey) team up to stop a band of terrorists from robbing the U.S. Treasury – with complications ensuing after Will’s wayward brother, Breeze (Ryan Kwanten), is abducted by the aforementioned terrorists. It’s clear almost immediately that The Hurricane Heist is never going to become the fast-paced, enjoyably silly actioner promised by the setup, as filmmaker Rob Cohen, working from Jeff Dixon and Scott Windhauser’s script, immediately establishes a chintzy and fairly low-rent feel that remains a problem throughout – with this underwelming vibe perpetuated by virtually all of the movie’s various attributes (including, even, the decidedly less-than-impressive, mostly charisma-free cast). And although Cohen has peppered the sluggish narrative with a handful of compelling sequences – eg Casey and Will outwit several pursuers in a storm-ravaged mall – The Hurricane Heist‘s downfall is ultimately cemented by a preponderance of chaotic and somewhat incoherent action sequences (ie most of the film’s big set-pieces are drowning in unconvincing special effects). The ineffective final stretch, which just seems to go on and on, does absolutely nothing to alleviate the picture’s pervasively subpar atmosphere and it’s finally impossible to label The Hurricane Heist as anything other than a colossal missed opportunity, which is a shame, ultimately, given the massive potential afforded by both the premise and the title itself.

** out of ****